The Wizengamot
by DolbyDigital
Summary: Remus learnt to accept disappointment; it became another part of his life. Eventually, he stopped feeling it all together.


**A/N –** This is for SilverPotion205. I'm sorry it's so short, but I hope it's okay.

* * *

Remus sat as still as he could, though it was a little difficult. The chair was hard, the back extending well past the top of his head, and his feet didn't quite reach the floor.

He glanced over at his dad, sitting on one of the long benches, hoping for some kind of reassurance, but he was talking to the large man sitting next to him. And his mum hadn't been allowed in. Remus still didn't understand why.

He looked up at the loud clearing of a throat, and the man sitting at the front at chairs above everyone else stood up. His dad had pointed this man out when they'd first come in, along with everyone in the seats around him. Apparently, they were all very clever. And liked ham. Remus wasn't too sure what he was supposed to do with that information.

The man cleared his throat again.

"The Wizengamot have gathered," he said, in a nasally voice that was far less impressive than Remus had expected. "To discuss the case of Remus John Lupin." Remus almost slouched — his mum only called him that when he was in a lot of trouble — but remembered the instructions his dad had given him outside the door. _Sit up straight,_ he'd said. _Pay attention._ He nodded slightly, furrowing his brow in concentration, determined to make his dad proud. "Right, well," he said, frowning down at Remus.

Remus did his best imitation of the face his dad always made when he was talking about work. The man swallowed.

"We're here to address the issue of Remus John Lupin's… _condition_ ," a woman said, standing from her seat a few rows behind the man. Remus didn't like the look of her much.

"Yes, yes. The boy's condition," the man said, staring at the back of Remus' chair somewhere above his head. Remus tried to look without moving his head, but couldn't see what it was the man was staring at. "He poses a risk to himself and those around him."

"He's just a child," an old lady said; she was sitting in the front row, on the seat closest to the door. Remus liked her. She looked like his grandma. "But he already poses such a threat. He's dangerous. And those poor Muggles in his village don't have any means to defend themselves." Remus didn't like her so much anymore.

There was a lot of mumbling from the benches at that, people looking around and nodding. Remus didn't know what was happening, but he didn't think it could be anything good.

The man cleared his throat again, looking down at Remus.

"Remus John Lupin," the man said. "You are to be confined on the night of the full moon. This is to be your own responsibility." Remus glanced over at his dad, not really sure what the man meant. His dad looked very pale. "If _anyone_ is harmed, you _will_ be sent to Azkaban." Remus had thought only very bad people were sent to Azkaban, and Remus was not very bad. Only sometimes, but his mum only ever sent him to timeout. "The length of your sentence will depend on the severity of the injury." Remus' dad stood up, then.

"He's only a _child_ ," he said, his voice breaking on the last word. "You can't send him to–"

" _Silence_ ," the first woman said. "A decision has been made." The second woman nodded.

"He's a monster. He's lucky we aren't putting him down now." Remus' dad looked very angry — angrier than that time Remus had fed their goldfish his lego — and Remus hoped he would tell the man that only cats got put down when they needed to go to sleep for a long time, not little boys.

He didn't.

.oOo.

 _Remus learnt to accept disappointment; it became another part of his life._

 _Eventually, he stopped feeling it all together._

.oOo.

Teddy sat before the council; the chair was stiff and uncomfortable, and he hated being stared down at like he was, but he kept his head held high. A tall man stood up, looking positively ancient, and looked down at Teddy with cold eyes.

"Edward Remus Lupin," the man said in a nasally voice. "We have been here before."

"Yes, I am aware of that," Teddy said, meeting the man's eyes.

"Yes, well," the man said, faltering slightly. The first few times he'd been here, Teddy had been terrified, but the fear was long gone now. "As you well know, the laws cannot be easily changed–"

"And, as you well know," Teddy said, knowing he was pushing his luck. "I am not trying to change the laws. I'm just asking that the Ministry provide a safe place for werewolves during the full moon–"

"And, as you have been told on numerous occasions, it is the werewolves who must be responsible for this." Teddy opened his mouth to protest further. "If that is all, Mister Lupin," the man said. "We have another appointment in two minutes." Teddy took a deep breath, calming himself, and nodded.

"That is all," he said stiffly.

"We'll see you next month," the middle-aged woman seated closest to the door said as he walked past. Teddy nodded, giving a tired smile.

.oOo.

 _Teddy knew disappointment was a part of life._

 _That wouldn't stop him from trying again._


End file.
